“I remember loving getting presents as a kid,” says Fel Limmer, breakfast radio host at Vision Christian Radio, “and that expectation of it was all part of that joy. As a parent though … when I’m giving, it’s not because I’m giving a material piece … it’s an expression of my love for them.”
In this Helping Hands panel discussion, Fel is joined by Michaela Chanmugam, from Samaritan’s Purse Australia and New Zealand, and Nathan Brewer, a youth worker and mentor, to discuss the joy of giving.
The concept of love being central to the joy of giving is one that’s echoed by both Michaela and Nathan as foundational to their work and the people they interact with every day.
“Giving with a generous heart is giving without the expectation of receiving anything in return,” explains Michaela. “That is what is so special about Operation Christmas Child (the annual gift-giving initiative of Samaritan’s Purse). You have people across Australia and New Zealand … all packing shoeboxes for children they most likely will never meet.”
For the tens of thousands of children around the world receiving those shoeboxes each year, Michaela adds, the simple act of packing a shoebox with items that are both functional and fun has an impact that can change the child’s life.
Likewise, says Michaela, the positive impact on the gift-giver is also significant.
“There’s something really beautiful and powerful in putting love in a box – filling a shoebox and sending it someone that you’ll never meet. Therefore, you’re not doing it because you’re expecting their gratitude or their appreciation … you’re doing it purely to show love and kindness and joy.”
Although many of us love to spoil our children with gifts from time to time, Nathan suggests that it’s not the gifts we give our kids that will give them the greatest joy. Instead, it’s the opportunities we take to encourage our kids to give of themselves within our families and communities that will help them truly understand what the joy of giving is.
“When they give, they learn purpose, and they learn their gifts, they learn their passions. So, you actually see them begin to discover who they are and who they were created to be. With really good intentions, we can sometimes stifle young people … but when we invest in them and get them to use their gifts, you see them thrive.”
See the JOY OF GIVING discussion and the full catalogue of Helping Hands panels at helpinghands.tv. Catch up on full episodes of Helping Hands on 9NOW.
